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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Central Park -- 'Peg-style
Revitalization of our 'urban green' worth making a big splash about
Winnipeg's Central Park (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store
Central Park has always fascinated me. In my early teens, off downtown on a Saturday afternoon to buy records and see a movie, I would sometimes head over to the other side of Ellice just to stroll around. To me, it was a place from another city, a big city that you saw on TV shows set in Toronto or New York: the urban green with the Gothic fountain and historic church surrounded by highrise apartments.
As I developed a greater appreciation for architecture and history, I continued to visit Central Park. You can sit in one place and take in a panorama of over a century of Winnipeg's residential development. From stately turn-of-the-century homes and Winnipeg's first upscale apartment block right up to 1960s highrises and 1980s "milk carton" blocks.
By the time I discovered the park, it already had a sketchy reputation that just got worse over time. It became a haven for drug dealers and intoxicated persons. The decay was probably best exemplified by the condition of the Waddell Fountain as bits began to fall away and eventually the water had to be turned off.
From 2004 to 2011, I worked a block away from the park and was able to see its revitalization take place first-hand. With a growing African refugee population in the area, it became common to see families picnicking, enjoying a stroll or children playing soccer on the grass. Eventually, there was an African-themed sidewalk market and weekend entertainment.
Residents of the area were taking back Central Park and the sketchier characters who once roamed the park freely were pushed off to the periphery.
In 2009, a multimillion-dollar rejuvenation of Central Park began. The old-style wading pool became a splash park that would make any adult jealous. There are new play structures, including a sliding hill. An artificial soccer pitch was installed and the garden areas were cleaned up. The focal point of the park, the Waddell Fountain, was restored to its former glory and once again spouts water.
It was great to watch Central Park come back to life. I look forward to taking many summer strolls there -- and maybe even a sneak through the splash park!
Christian Cassidy writes about Winnipeg's history and places at his blog West End Dumplings.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 27, 2012 A1
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